Fence



(No Model.) E. ROTH.

FENCE.

No. 557,430. y Patented Mar. 31, 1896.

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ELIAS ROTH, OF NEW OXFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

FENCE. l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,430, dated March 31, 1896. Application filed November 15, 1895. Serial No. 569,067. `(No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELIAS ROTH, of New Oxford, in the county of Adams and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Fence, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of fences having wirestretchers, and has for its object to provide a fence of the indicated character'with irnproved details of construction, whereby the fence is adapted to resist the action of heat and cold that might have a tendency to distort or otherwise injure the same; and, furthermore, the improvements are designed to strengthen the fence, provide novel means for attaching the stretcher-wires to the posts, and for securing pickets of peculiar shape upon the stretcher-wires of the fence at spaced intervals.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and indicated in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the fence. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of part of the improved fence at one of the posts and showing novel means for securing the fence-wires to said post. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of one of the improved tie-bands employed for securing pickets on the stretcher-wires of the fence. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of part of a picket and of a stretcher-wire bound to the picket by the novel tieband. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 5 5 in Fig. fl. Fig. G is a side elevation of a portion of one picket in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 7 and showing locking-notches for the reception of a stretcher-wire whereon said picket is to be secured, and Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of a picket on the line 7 7 in Fig. 6.

In the drawings, 10 indicates the fenceposts, which are provided in sufficient number and erected at spaced intervals, the lower ends of the posts being embedded in the ground in the usual manner. The distance between any two of the posts 10 represents the length of a single panel of the fence, one panel and portions of twoadjoining panels being shown in Fig. 1. On the line of fence-posts 10 a suitable number of stretcher-wires 11 are secured, being arranged at correct distances of separation, and said fence-wires are preferably affixed to the same side of each of the Vposts by peculiar means, which will be hereinafter described.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the fence-wires 11, technically known as stretcher-wires, have adjacent loops formed in each one at points which will permit said looped formation to be imposed on the sides of the fence-posts when the fence is being erected. The looped formations each consist of two integral bowed portions a, that project in opposite directions close to and in alinement with each other, so that the loops will lie closely against the side of the posts upon which they are to be secured.

It will be seen that each pair of fastenerloops a by their construction and peculiar relative arrangement permits the insertion of two ordinary fence-wire staples b, so that one leg of a staple will pass through the bow of a loop a and thence into the post 10, the other leg of each staple entering the post outside of an adjacent member of a loop a, which will adapt the staples to so secure the stretcherwire on the post that longitudinal movement of the wire will be practically prevented at the points of attachment.

The fixed connection of the stretcher-wires 11 with the posts 10, as explained, renders each fence-panel measurably independent of adjoining panels, and, as represented in Fig. 1, the stretcher-wires for each fence-panel are permitted to hang on the posts unstretched, they having a predetermined degree of slackness that is preferably slightly increased for each fence-wire from the top wire downward. On the stretcher-wires 11 upright pickets 12 are attached and spaced apart a proper distance, these pickets being preferably formed of metal strips of corresponding dimensions nd each bent to produce a curved or angular shape in cross section, as indicated in Fig. 7.

The edges of the pickets 12 are indented or notched at opposite points in series, each pair of opposite notches c being of such depth and width as will adapt them for the reception of IOO a stretehenwire 11, which should be suiciently embedded in said notches to prevent longitudinal displacement of the pickets on the stretcher-wires, the distance apart afforded the several pairs of notches corresponding with the degree of separation had by the series of stretcher-wires, so that the pickets l2 may be placed thereon and receive the said wires in their notches without affecting the degree of downward curvature of the latter that results from permitting slackness therein. The preferred means for attaching the pickets l2 to the wires ll consists in fur nishing tie-bands 13 therefor formed of flexible wire, one tie-band being shown in com pleted form in Fig. 3.

The tie-bands are each looped at the center of length to afford two substantially parallel members therefor, and in applying the bands to hold pickets in place on the stretcherwires the bowed portion CZ of atie-band is placed on the stretcher-wire, so that the two wire strands or limbs of the tie-band may straddle the stretcher-wire and be bent around the convex face of the picket l2, the free end portions of the tie-band being then bent toward the stretcher-wire at the opposite edge of the picket, twisted together, and bent inwardly or from said edge, as clearly shown in Figs. it and 5 at e.

Then the ends of the tie-bands are sufficiently wrapped together, the picket will be firmly bound on the several stretcher-wires in a manner which will permit the slackened stretcher-wires to yield upwardly as they become shortened by action of freezing temperature they may be subjected to, and also to sag downward as they are lengthened by exposure to heat during warm weather, and in either casethe peculiar construction of the improved fence adapts it to remain unbroken and erect.

The formation of the picket l2, as shown and described, affords very light and strong paling, and if the pickets are coated with non-oXidating metal they are rendered indestructible as regards exposure to the elcments, and it will be seen that as each fencepanel is unaected by other panels in the line of fence any injury sustained by an individual fence-panel will not injure the main line of fence at other points, which will remain intact if any panel is destroyed by accident.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire' to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a fence, the combination with a series of posts, of stretcher-wires, each having loop formations secured by staples on said posts,

preventing longitudinal movement of the stretcher-wires between each pair of posts, substantially as described.

2. In a fence, the combination with a series of posts, of stretcher-wircs, each having loop formations that are paired where they are attached to a post, and project in opposite directions, and staples inserted through each loop into the post and embracing the members of said loops, thereby preventing lon gitudinal movement of the stretcher-wires, substantially as described.

3. In a fence, the combination with a series of posts, of stretcher-wires, each having two integral loops formed therein and adapted to engage with the side of a post, said loops being projected in opposite directions and secured on the posts by staples, said staples embracing adjacent members of each loop and preventing longitudinal movement of the f stretcher-wires, which wires are afforded varying degrees of slackness between a pair of posts, such slackness increasing from the top wire to the bottom wire, substantially as described,

J. E. C. MILLER, W. IV. MYERS. 

